Knitting machine with interchangeable needle carriers



y 21, 1940- w. LARKIN I 2,201,905

KNITTING MACHINE WITH INTERCHANGEABLE NEEDLE CARRIERS Filed April 26, 1959 s Sheejs-Shet 1 May 21, 1940. w, LARK. I 2,201,905

KNITTING MACHINE WITH INTERCHANGEABIJE NEEDLE CARRIERS Filed April 26, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I x I e 7 77 Mia/av I Z0? 5 A? a; 1 52 g 2257f May 21, 1940. w LARK|N 2,201,905

KNITTING MACHINE WITH INTERCHANGEABLE NEEDLE CARRIERS Filed April 26," 1939 5 Sheet-Sheet 4 y 1. 1940. w. LA.F\IKIN 2,201,905

KNITTIfiG MACHINE WITH INTERCHANGEABLE NEEDLE CAfiRIERS .Filed April 26, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 .n IL W 'IIIIIIIII Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED STATES KNITTING MACHINE WITH INTERCHANGE- ABLE NEEDLE CARRIERS Walter Larkin, Norristown, Pa., assignor to Fidelity Machine Company, Wilmington, a corporation oi. Delaware Del;

Application April 26, 1939, Serial No. 270,242

11 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machine and more especially to the circular type adapted for knitting tubes of extremely small diameters, such for example, as those employed in insulating electric wires or for knitting reinforcing fabrics in the manufacture of rubber hose. Machines of the type to which the present invention is particularly adaptable are clearly shown in my prior U. S. Patents No. 2,032,993, dated March 3, 1936, and No. 2,084,770, dated June 22, 1937.

In machines of such small knitting diameters the cam rings have been correspondingly small in diameter, and in order to provide the necessary amount of longitudinal movement for the needles in the knitting cylinder, relative to the knitting point, the angle of the inclines of the needle raising and lowering cams have necessarily been so steep as to preclude running of the machines at high speeds.

Furthermore, the sharp inclines of the needle operating cams have caused excessive wear in the walls of the needle slots of the needle cylinders, and excessive wear on the edges of the needle butts engaged by the cams. Also, the relation of the cam inclines to the butts of the needles' .chine with needles of a difl'erent gage can be readily accomplished without removing the carrier which takes the place of the conventional needle cylinder.

Another object of the invention is to construct the needle carrier in such a manner as to provide for use of operating cams of relatively large diameters, whereby the needle activating inclines may be'made' at easy angles, permitting the machine to be operated at relatively high speeds and at the same time reducing breakageof the needle butts and excessive wear on the butts, the walls of the needle guide grooves, and on the operating surfaces 0! the cams which engage the needle butts.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1' is a vertical sectional elevation through in section of the needle carrier shown in Fig. 7;

a machine of the type shown in the prior Patent 1 No. 2,032,993, with the improved construction of the present invention incorporated therein, this machine being of the stationary cylinder type and employing rotating needle operating cams;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section 'of a machine of the type shown in the prior Patent No. 2,084,770, also of the rotary cam type, with the improvement according to the present invention, incorporated therein;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional elevation of the needle carrier and operating mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the needle carrier shown in Fig. 3; 15

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of one of the individual needle guide supports of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional perspective view' of one end of the needle carrier shown in Fig, 4;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional elevation of a machine employing a stationary cam ring and a rotating needle carrier with .the improvement of the present invention incorporated therein;

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view taken'on the line r-B, Fig. 7;

, Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 99, Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a detached perspective view partly Fig. 11 is a detached perspectiveview of one of the individual needle guide-supports shownin F16. 7; y

Fig, .12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 showing a modified form of needle carrier guide-support;

' and 5 Fig. 13' is a fragmentary sectional plan view of the guide-supportshown in Fig. 12 applied to a needle carrier suitably modified to receive the same.

As shown in Fig. 1, the machine comprises a base I having a circular recess 2 provided with an inturned flange 3 on which is secured, by screws 4, a ring 5. The ring 5 is provided with an inturned flange 6 having a centralbore I in which is mounted, for rotation between a pair of rings 0 and 9, a flange *10 of a sleeve II. Thesieeve H adjustably supports a central hollow tube l2. The ring 8 is secured to the flange 6 by screws l3 and the ring 9 is secured to' the flange S'by screws H. The sleeve II is threaded internally'for cooperation with external threads on the exterior of the tube I2, whereby rotation of the sleeve H will efl 'ect axial adjustment of said tube. Rotation of the tube I2 is prevented by keys or splines l5 formed on the ring 8 and dis posed in longitudinal slots or splines I 6 formed in the outer surface of the tube I2. Rotation of the sleeve II, for effecting adjustment of the tube I2, is accomplished bymeans of ahand wheel |1 formed on or secured to the lower end of thesleeve ll, below the flange 3 of the base I. A

locking wheel I8 is threaded onto the tube I2 below the sleeve II, for jamming against the lower end of the sleeve after adjustment of the tube |2 has been accomplished to lock the tube in its adjusted position.

Rotatably mounted in the cavity 2, outside the screws 25, for rotation therewith. The plate 24' supports a cam sleeve 26 which is disposed outside and rotates about the fixed inner tube I2.

Encircling the cam sleeve 26 is the improved needle carrier 36 of the present invention. The needle carrier 30 is provided with a head 29 at its upper end, which overlies the upper end of the cam sleeve 26 and is supported by an annular flange 28 on the tube l2, to which said head is secured by screws 21. Thus the carrier 39 'is held against rotation while the cam sleeve 26 is permitted to revolve between the fixed tube l2 and the fixed carrier 30. The carrier 34 is provided with a series of longitudinally extending laterally spaced parallel slots 3|, one for each needle in the machine. In each slot 3| is an individual needle support 32, which is provided in its inner surface with a longitudinal needle guide groove 33 for slidably supporting and guiding the shank 34 of one of the needles 35. As shown in Fig. l, the needles 35 may be divided into two groups, the one group having long shanks 34 while the second group are provided with relatively short shanks 36. The shanks 34 are provided with butts 31 operating in a lower cam groove 39 formed in the periphery of the cam sleeve 26. The shanks 36 of the short needles are provided with butts 39 which operate in a cam groove 46 formed in the upper portion of the periphery of the cam sleeve 26. However,

the needles may all be of either the long or short shank type with their butts operating in a single cam groove, if desired.

The inner edges 4| of the needle supports 32 bear against the base surfaces 42 of the portions 01' the slots 3| formed in the needle carrier 30 which are disposed adjacent the head 29, and against the outer peripheral surface 43 of the cam sleeve 26. 4

The needle carrier 30 is provided with upper and lower annular grooves 44 and 45 respectively, for reception of split clamping rings 46 and 41 respectively which encircle the carrier 36 and bear against the outer edges 48 of each and all of the needle supports 32, to retain said supports against radial movement outward.

The outer edge of each needle support 32 is provided with a transverse groove 49 adjacent one of its ends for reception of an internal rib 56 formed on the split ring 41, by which longitudinal movement of the needle supports 32, relative to the carrier 30, is prevented.

The two halves of the split rings 46 and 41 are pivotally connected by a pivot pin 5| at one side of the carrier 30 and the free ends of said ring-halves are secured together at the opposite side of the needle carrier by screws 52 passing through suitable openings 53 in the one half and threaded into tapped openings 54 in the other half, as clearly shown in Fig. 9..

Above the flange 28, the tube I2 is provided with an annular enlargement 55. This enlargement is provided with longitudinal grooves 56 for reception of the upper ends 51 of the needles 35, said needles each being provided with an offset portion 58 compensating for the difference in diameter between the circle on which the upper portions 51 of said needles are located, and the circle on which the shanks 34-36 are located.

The knitting of the fabric :c, by vertical or longitudinal movement of the needles 35 in conjunction with feeding a knitting thread thereto, through one or the other or both of a pair of thread guides 59 and 60, takes place between the upper edge 6| of the work tube l2 and the lower edge 62 of a hold-down ring 63.

The hold-down ring 63 is of substantially the same diameter as the tube I2 and is provided on its outer periphery with an annular enlargement 64 in which is provided a series of grooves 66 for receiving the hook ends 66 of the needles 35. the slots or grooves 65 being in alignment with the slots or grooves 56 in the enlargement of the tube I2.

The thread guides 59 and are supported by posts 61 and 69 which are carried by the rotating plate 22 in diametrically opposite relation to each other. These posts also support thread tensioning means 69, 69, one for each of the guides 59 and 60; and a bridge piece 16 which supports an annular abutment 1|. The abutment 1| is concentric with the floating hold-down ring 63 and bears against the upper edge thereof to prevent rising of the said floating ring as the fabric .1: tends to rise during the vertical knitting movements of the needles 35.

As a matter of convenience. the cam grooves 36 and 40 may be formed in or between removable rings or segmental plates 12, which are secured to the cam sleeve 26 to form the outer peripheral surface thereof with the cam grooves therein.

With the mechanism above described, it will be clear that replacement of needles may be readily accomplished by removing the upper split ring 46 and swinging outwardly the needle support 32 of the needle which is to be replaced, using the rib 50 of the lower split ring 41 and the cross groove 49 of the needle support as a fulcrum, the lower inner corner of each needle support being beveled, as indicated at 13 in Fig. 1, to provide clearance for such outward swinging movement of the upper end of the needle support. A new support, or the same support with a new needle therein, may be readily replaced by reversing the operation just described.

It will also be clear that such removal and replacement is made possible by arranging the needles to operate outside the operating cams, instead of inside the operating cams. as is the usual custom, which permits the making of the cams to a larger diameter than has been the custom heretofore, whereby the inclines on the butt engaging surfaces of the cams may be made at easier angles, i. e. inclines of smaller angles, relative to the horizontal, than is possible with the smaller diameter cams.

In the machine shown in Fig. 1, the knitted tube moves downwardly in the direction'of the arrow a in said figure, through the tube I 2- from the knitting line BI, whereas in the device shown in Fig. 3 the knitted fabric xI moves upwardly through the tube In from the knitting line IiIa.

In each instance, a core element yjsuch as an electric wire or cable or 'a' length of rubber tubing etc. is led into the tube I2 or In and past the knitting line 6| or 6Ia, through a tube 15 or 15a which is in axial alignment with the tube I2 or I2a respectively. r

In the structure shown in Fig. 1, the guide .tube I5 is supported by, the bridge piece 10. In the structure shown in Fig. 2, the guide tube 15a I forms an extension of a short tube I6; The short tube 18 is provided'with an annular enlargement which'extends vertically therethroughand is secured by screws BI to 'an axially aligned complementary tube -81'.

The tube 82 is surrounded; above. the upper ends of the posts 61a and 68a,'with a collar 83. of the split type which is adapted to be clamped tightly -to the tube Why a screw 84. The collar 83 is provided with a bore 88in which is secured one end of an L-shaped anchorage element 89,

the opposite end of which is secured in a fixed bridge element 90 by which rotation of the tube 82- -I2a is prevented. The bridge element is supported from the frame work Ia outside a path of rotation of the elements carried by the rot'ary plate 22a, as disclosed in prior Patent No. The tube [2a is provided with an annular flange 280. which is secured, byv screws 21a, to the head 29a of the needle carrier 30a,

whereby rotation of said carrier is prevented.

The upper end of the tube 82 is provided with an annular groove 85 into which extends the head 06 of an adjusting screw BIwhich is tapped into the collar 83 and by which axial adjustment of the tube I2a-, through the complementary tube 02. maybe accomplished.

The carrier 30a is provided with longitudinal needle supports 3221. In this instance, each sup:

port 32a. is provided with a longitudinal projection 9| at one end, which hooks behind the inner surface 92 of the carrier 30a, at the upper end carrier 30a, as clearly shown at the :left in Fig. 3.

In this case, each of the supports 32a is provided with a cross groove 93, formed in its inner surface, for receiving an outwardly projecting annu-' lar extension 94 of the flange 20a, by which the supports 3241 are maintained in their slots 3Ia against relative longitudinal movement with respect thereto.

Radial outward movement of the supports 32a isnormally prevented by a sleeve '05 which emselectively into alignment with an y one of the needle support receiving slots 3Ia, as shown in Fig. 3, to'permit outward swinging movement of the needle support 32a, as shown in said figure. During normal operation of the machine the slot 9'! is disposed in line with one of the solid portions 98 of the carrier 30a (see Fig. 4 disposed between each two of the slots 3Ia in which the needle supports 32a. are mounted.

In this instance, the needles 35a are all of the same length and provided with butts 37a operating in a single cam slot 38a formed in the peripheral surface of the cam sleeve 26a.

In. that form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 to 11, the cam sleeve 26b remains stationary while the needle carrier 30b revolves about said cam sleeve. The cam sleeve 26b is provided with a tubular axial extension 99 which is slidably mounted in a bearing, I00 formed in the base structure lb, said extension 99 having a key I!" secured therein which is adapted to slide longitudinally in a key slot I02 formed in the inner surface of the bearing I00, as shown in Figs. 7

and '8.

The lower end of the extension .99 is threaded,

as indicated at I03, for reception of an internally threaded adjusting ring I04 which bears against the lower end I of the bearing I00 and is retained in contact therewith by a. screw I06 which is threaded into a bore I01 formed on the bearing I00, the head of the screw I06 bearing against the underside of the -ring I04 and holding the upper side of said ring in contact with the end I 05 of the bearing I00. Rotation of the ring I04 will effect axial movement of the extension 99 and the cam sleeve 2617, while the key I00 and key slot I02 prevent rotation thereof.

Rigidity of the cam element 26b is further provided by a pair of clamp pieces I00 and I09 which are mounted in a transverse bore IIO formed in a lateral extension III of thebearing I00 and through which extends a bolt II2 for clamping concaved surfaces H3, N3, of the elements I08 and I09 respectively, against the outer 28b of the work tube I21). Vertical movement of the carrier 30bis prevented by a hold-downring extends outwardly beyond the inner surfaces 42b of the support receiving. slot 3Ia, and acts as a; ifof the slots. 3Ib in which the needle supports 32b fulcrum in removing the supports 32a from the are mounted, the outer edge of said ring entering transverse slots or grooves 93b formed .in the inner surfaces of the supports 32b, whereby longitudinal movement of the supports relative to the carrier 30!) is prevented.

' Radial movement of the upper ends of the supports 32b, outwardly, is prevented by a split ring 46b which correspondsto the split ring 46 previously noted. Outward radial movement of the lower ends of the supports is prevented by a varieties with the butts thereof operating in sep-,

arate cam grooves 30b and 40b in the cam element 26b in the mannerpreviously described.

' If desired, needle supports 320 shown in Figs;

12 and 13.may be provided .with longitudinal ribs or lateral flanges l I 5 fitting in corresponding rabbets H6 formed at the opposite sides respectively of the slots Me, in which the supports 320 are mounted, for preventing inward movement of the supports 32c.

While the invention has been described as being applied to circular knitting machines of small knitting diameters, obviously the principle of the individual supports for the needles mounted for ready detachability in a carrier therefor may be applied to other types of circular machines and under certain circumstances the same principle may be applied to fiat bed knitting machines.

I claim:

1. A needle carrier for a knitting machine, a series of separate needle supports detachably carried thereby in laterally spaced parallel relation to each other and respectively mounted in correspondingly laterally spaced parallel slots formed in said carrier, each support including a longitudinal rib along at least one of its side edges adapted to engage the carrier along a corresponding edge of the slot in which the carrier is mounted and functioning as means for preventing movement of the support in one direction perpendicular to the wall of the carrier in which said slots are formed, and readily releasable means for maintaining said supports against perpendicular movement in the opposite direction in said carrier slots.

2. A needle carrier for a knitting machine, a series of separate needle supports detachably carried thereby in laterally spaced parallel relation to each other and respectively mounted in correspondingly laterally spaced parallel slots formed in said carriers, each support including a longitudinal rib along each of its side edges adapted to fit within rabbets formed in the opposite sides respectively of the slots in which the supports are respectively mounted, said ribs and rabbets functioning as means for preventing movement of the support in one direction perpendicular to the wall of the carrier in which said slots are formed, and readily releasable means for maintaining said supports against perpendicular movement in the opposite direction in said carrier slots.

3. A cylindrical needle carrier for a knitting machine, a series of separate needle supports detachably carried thereby in laterally spaced parallel relation to each other and respectively mounted in correspondingly laterally spaced parallel slots formed in said carrier, and a clamping band mounted in an annular groove adjacent each of the opposite ends of said carrier and encircling said carrier outside said supports for retaining said supports in said slots, one of said bands including an annular rib adapted to enter a transverse groove in each support to function as means for preventing longitudinal movement of the supports in the carrier slots and to function as a pivot for swinging the opposite end of a support out of its carrier groove upon release of the clamping band lying adjacent said opposite end of the support.

4. A rigid walled knitting machine needle carrier provided with laterally spaced. parallel slots extending completely through one wall thereof, and a longitudinally grooved needle support removably mounted in each slot.

5. A rigid walled knitting machine needle carrier provided with laterally spaced parallel slots extending completely through one wall thereof,

a longitudinally grooved needle support removably mounted in each slot, rigid means preventing said supports from displacement from said slots in one direction perpendicular to said wall, and releasable means for permitting removal of sin? supports in an opposite direction ,from said 5 O S.

6. A rigid walled knitting machine needle carrier provided with laterally spaced parallel slots extending completely through one wall thereof, a longitudinally grooved needle support removably mounted in each slot, rigid means adjacent one end of each slot for preventing said supports from displacement from said slots in one direction perpendicular to said wall, and releasable means for. permitting removal of said supports in an opposite direction from said slots.

'7. A rigid walled knitting machine needle carrier provided with laterally spaced parallel slots extending completely through one wall thereof, a longitudinally grooved needle support removably mounted in each slot, rigid means extending along the length of each slot for preventing said supports from displacement from said slots in one direction perpendicular to said wall, and releasable means for permitting removal of said supports in an opposite direction from said slots.

8. A rigid walled knitting machine needle carrier provided with laterally spaced parallel slots extending completely through one wall thereof, a longitudinally grooved needle support removably mounted in each slot, rigid means adjacent one end of each slot for preventing said supports from displacement from said slots in one direction perpendicular to said wall, and releasable means opposite said rigid means at said end of each slot for permitting removal of said supports in an opposite direction from said slots.

9. A rigid walled knitting machine needle carrier provided with laterally spaced parallel slots extending completely through one wall thereof. a longitudinally grooved needle support removably mounted in each slot, rigid means adjacent one end of each slot for preventing said supports from displacement from said slots in one direc tion perpendicular to said wall, and releasable means adjacent each of the opposite ends of each slot for permitting removal of said supports in an opposite direction from said slots.

10. A rigid walled knitting machine needle carrier provided with laterally spaced parallel slots extending completely through one wall thereof, a longitudinally grooved needle support removably mounted in each slot, rigid means preventing said supports from displacement from said slots in one direction perpendicularto said wall, and releasable means extending along substantially the full length of each slot for permitting removal of said supports in an opposite direction from said slots.

11. A rigid walled knitting machine needle carrier provided with laterally spaced parallel slots extending completely through one wall thereof, a longitudinally grooved needle support removably mounted in each slot, rigid means preventing said supports from displacement from said slots in one direction perpendicular to said wall, means for preventing longitudinal movement of said supports in said slots, and releasable means for permitting removal of said supports in an opposite direction from said slots.

WALTER LARKIN. 

